


Keen Words

by kanashimibeast



Series: Across Realms [1]
Category: Fire Emblem Musou | Fire Emblem Warriors, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates, Fire Emblem: Shin Ankoku Ryuu to Hikari no Ken | Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon
Genre: Blame Fire Emblem Warriors, F/M, Sorry Not Sorry, Well I am officially in rarepair hell, it's like regular hell except no one else suffers with you, their dialogue there made me ship it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-15
Updated: 2018-08-15
Packaged: 2019-06-27 22:20:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15694497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kanashimibeast/pseuds/kanashimibeast
Summary: If Niles is going to be stuck in an another world for the time being, dealing with a pair of blond brats and their chaos dragon, he might as well take the time to figure out why he finds Princess Minerva so intriguing.Unfortunately for him, she has ways of catching him off guard.





	Keen Words

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't ship this before Warriors. Then Warriors happened, and the dialogue between these two when paired up made it impossible to resist. I'm not sorry.

“The Red Dragoon herself, mmm? Let’s see if we can make those cheeks blush to match.”

Had Princess Minerva not been busy rending a group of outrealm fiends into pieces, Niles had no doubt she would have sent a murderous glare over her shoulder. Instead she settled for a mighty swing of her oversized axe and a loud yell. “Stop blathering and help me!”

“You seem to be doing fine on your own,” Niles said, idly shooting down a group of fiends that came up on Minerva’s flank. It was a shame that they didn’t bleed as normal enemies did. That would have made it much more satisfying.

Beside him, Minerva huffed and swept her axe out, her wyvern pivoting with lightning speed to take out every enemy in her vicinity. Outrealm fiends crumpled and dissipated under the crushing blow. “Shouldn’t you be helping your lord?”

Niles raised an eyebrow. “I thought you wanted me to help you.”

This time she did send him a cold glare. “If you’re going to hang around my flank, then yes, I do expect you to pull your weight. But I also expected you to be with Prince Leo, not at my side.”

“And risk you getting shot down by a deadly sniper?”

She scoffed. “I have the blessing of Iote’s Shield.”

“Ah, right. That thing.” Niles shrugged, then jumped back to avoid a fiend’s claws, putting an arrow through its eye in retaliation. The pegasus knights and Camilla had seethed with envy to learn that Minerva could shrug off arrow attacks, but really, didn’t everyone in the army have a special skill of some kind? “How foolish of me to forget your skill, the one that rivals my propensity for instantaneous lethalities.”

Minerva, apparently having lost patience for Niles and his chatter, offered no response. Instead she broke through the swarm of fiends and took off towards the enemy stronghold. Niles hotfooted it after her. Despite her wyvern’s superior speed, she paused often to drop down with sudden, devastating fury on any commander that had the misfortune to be under her talons, making it easier for Niles to keep up. It also had the much appreciated benefit of clearing the way for him.  A quartet of wyvern riders came up on Minerva’s tail, and Niles nocked his arrows, the riders falling to the ground within seconds of his shots. Minerva glanced over her shoulder, lifted her axe in acknowledgement, and continued her assault on the manakete that was struggling to land an attack on her. 

_ Nothing stops that woman for a second, does it? _ Niles chuckled under his breath and slid to a stop a few paces from her. As she worked on the manakete - really, those things had ridiculous levels of defense - he focused on shooting down the foot soldiers trying to swarm them. Wave after wave fell, their screams music to his ears.  _I wonder if she enjoys this as much as I do..._

“Niles!”

Niles glanced towards Minerva, who had her axe held aloft. “With me!”

“I thought you’d never ask.” Niles pivoted neatly on his foot, bow at the ready. “Let’s have some fun, Princess Minerva.”

Even as he fired off several shots in rapid succession, he could hear Minerva’s scoff. “This is no time for games, Niles!” She said, but the words were soon lost in the roar of fire her wyvern spewed, and as the column of flame enveloped the manakete, she came in with her axe. Really, the manakete - and the soldiers swept into the blaze - never stood a chance.

When the flames cleared, Minerva glanced his way. He winked at her. “So, am I pulling my weight?”

Minerva didn’t even bat an eye. “Your performance here makes up for some of your many faults, Niles.”

“You’re hardly meek yourself, princess.” Niles smirked at her. “Although wouldn’t it be cute if you were…”

If she heard, she didn’t deign to reply to him. Instead she urged her wyvern towards the stronghold again. Niles shrugged and set off after her. There would be more time for teasing later - provided he ever learned just what made that woman so interesting to begin with...

 

* * *

 

“Niles.”

Niles glanced down from his perch in a tree outside of camp. Minerva stood beneath him, arms crossed over her chest. He raised his eyebrow in mock surprise. “The great Princess Minerva herself has come to seek me out? What have I done to earn your ire?”

“ _ Niles. _ ” Minerva’s voice was flat and humorless. “We both know your list of… transgressions is lengthy.”

“Yes, but which one have you come to scold me for?”

“None of them, currently,” Minerva said. She raised an eyebrow. “Unless you feel compelled to confess to something that deserves a  _ proper _ scolding.”

Niles smirked. “I knew you didn’t just have that whip for show, princess.” He stretched out on his branch, his smile coy. “I’m not normally one to mix pain with pleasure, but if the esteemed Princess Minerva herself is offering…”

Minerva cleared her throat loudly. If the proposition embarrassed her any, she showed no sign of it. Not even an averted glance. Did nothing rattle the woman? “I am here, Niles, to get a straight answer from you regarding  _ why _ you have been at my side for the past five battles. You are not the sort that ‘plays nicely’ with others.”

Niles clutched his heart in mock horror. “Such  _ slander. _ I’ll have you know I’m a model team member.”

Minerva snorted. “I have not heard a lie so egregious since my brother claimed our father was killed by Archaneans.”

_ There’s that story again. _ Niles had only a patchy knowledge of Minerva’s background, but he knew enough broad strokes to get the reference. He also knew that her older brother Michalis was a  _ very  _ sore subject for her, and for said brother to come up in a conversation about himself was not a promising sign. Sensing trouble, he switched gears. “That tactician paired us up, remember?”

“That was five battles ago, and for one battle, when it was tactically advantageous for us to be paired,” Minerva said. “I find it highly suspect that you insisted on continuing the pairing. I know for a fact that Robin has not suggested our continued partnership.”

“Perhaps  _ I  _ find it tactically advantageous to work with a wyvern rider - my apologies, wyvern  _ lord _ \- in battle.”

“Then you can work with Camilla.”

“Begging your pardon, your highness, but have you  _ met  _ Camilla?”

Minerva sighed. “Niles.” Her voice dropped its stiff, regal edge, surprising him. He had never heard her speak in anything other than clipped tones. “I am not doing this dance with you. Tell me why you’ve been fighting at my side.”

Niles paused. Being direct was not something he dealt with frequently, so he took the time to gather his words. “You’re… interesting.”

“Elaborate.”

“So pushy, aren’t you?” Niles rolled his eyes. “Fine. On principle, I loathe those with privileged upbringings, people who haven’t the faintest idea how others have suffered. Princesses are usually in that category. You aren’t, which means on principle, I can’t loathe you.”

“So you are familiar with my situation.”

“I know the gist.” Niles leaned down to look at her. “Big brother Michalis murdered your father, shipped off your younger sister to be a hostage, and forced you to fight for him. Right?”

Minerva’s face remained an impassive mask. “Yes.”

“And you’re dead set on dethroning him for the sake of your precious Macedon.”

“Is there a problem with that?”

The icy tone to her words made him reconsider his words before speaking again. “You’re frustratingly competent. That’s the problem.”

She raised an eyebrow. He continued. “Ever since coming to this world, everyone’s been kowtowing to those brat twins. Those pipsqueaks don’t know what the hell they’re doing.”

“They are young.”

“They’re  _ brats. _ ” Niles huffed and leaned down further. “Someone like Xander or Ryoma needs to take charge from them. Instead they’re going along with them and even  _ praising _ those twits. Every time someone kisses their asses I want to slit my own throat with one of my arrows. At least the girl is halfway tolerable.”

Minerva tapped her foot. “This is relevant how?”

“It’s relevant because I haven’t heard a word of praise from you.” Niles pointed to her for emphasis. “Because  _ you’re _ competent enough to recognize that, even if we rely on them in order to return to our worlds, you don’t have to ingratiate yourself to them. You don’t even let those brats - or any of the other weirdos here, myself included - distract you. Your focused on your goal with a level of dedication I rarely see, and if that wasn’t enough, you’re probably the strongest one in this preposterous excuse for an army. You don’t even have a sacred weapon, just an oversized axe.”

“This coming from a man who brings a bow and arrow into melee combat.”

Niles held up his hands in surrender. “I make it work for me.”

“And you’ve suitably made your point, or so I believe.” Minerva raised her eyebrows. “Unless I’m mistaken in believing that you’ve kept to my side because you find me intriguing in my competence, and you are trying to decide why that bothers you.”

“Ooooh, you’re good. I hadn’t even mentioned that last bit.”

Minerva cracked a rare smile. “You’re easy enough to read.”

He brushed aside the blow to his ego. “Yes, well, now you have my answer. Are we done here?”

“Yes, Niles,” said Minerva. “I believe we are. I will see you the next time I ride into battle.”

With that, she turned on her heel and strode away.

 

* * *

 

“I find it curious that you don’t seek me out at camp and only watch me during battles.”

Niles, who had been in his usual perch and keenly watching a conversation happening in the distance, nearly fell out of the tree when Minerva’s voice came from nowhere. He regained his balance just in time to avoid embarrassing himself and glanced down at Minerva. She stood at the base of the tree, arms crossed and eyebrows raised. He cleared his throat. “I find it curious that you always confront me at this tree.”

“You’re often here,” Minerva said. “It’s not quite as curious as you say.”

“Fair.” Niles adjusted his position so he could better look down at Minerva. She was the perfect picture of royalty, as always, stiff as a rod and with armor polished until it shone. He never saw the woman at anything less than her most imposing, it seemed. Even after long battles, when her armor was stained and scuffed and her hair was a mess, she remained regal. “Why are you here? Didn’t you get your fill of me during our last romp through the battlefield? We’ve spent eight whole battles together now, you should feel flattered.”

“And yet you never interact with me outside of battle.”

“I always assumed you were too busy.” Niles waved his hand dismissively. “You only have about twenty or so other royals to talk to, after all. Have you noticed that Prince Ryoma seems quite taken with you? He does have a thing for wyvern riders, so I’m told. Surely you would be better off establishing diplomatic ties with him, instead of a reformed criminal like myself?”

Minerva made a strange sound. It took Niles a moment to realize it was a laugh. “You almost sound jealous.”

Niles snorted. “Perish the thought. I may be an incorrigible flirt, but I’m not a jealous teenager.”

“So you say.” Minerva didn’t sound convinced. “Regardless, it may set your mind at ease to know that while Ryoma has made some advances on me--”

“I knew it!”

“--I ultimately decided that our relationship would best be left professional,” she said, giving him a pointed look for his interjection. “I view him as a valuable mentor and friend, but anything more than a dalliance would be ill-advised, considering that we will be returning home to separate worlds, and possibly separate times.”

“Oh yes, and I know how you royals feel about dalliances.” Niles rolled his eyes. “Keeping yourself pure for your future husband, princess?”

Minerva’s lips twitched into what he could have sworn was a smirk. “You presume I am a virgin.”

“Wait, you’re--”

“Like you said, my whip isn’t purely for show.” Now she was  _ definitely _ smirking. “I have ridden more than pegasuses and wyverns in my day.”

Niles stared. He couldn’t even be affronted enough to complain that innuendo was  _ his _ job. Minerva was far from pure and innocent like Caeda, but she was also a far cry from Camilla, who strutted around in what must have been a chafing nightmare, what with how much bare skin showed under her armor. To hear Minerva imply a varied sexual history with the same ease and confidence she used to talk about battle was… unnerving.

Minerva cleared her throat. “To get back on topic,” she said, “I am no stranger to dalliances. Nor do I object to them. Ryoma, however, is a traditional man who will not commit to anything less than a partner. Were we in a shared world, I might consider his advances. We are not, so I cannot entertain them. You have no reason to be jealous. Ryoma is not your competition.”

“Competition?” Niles scoffed. “Do you think I fancy you, princess?”

“Was I supposed to interpret your flirting differently?”

“I flirt with everyone, sweetheart. You shouldn’t take it seriously.”

Minerva’s look told him she was not convinced. “So I am not meant to take eight battles spent partnered very seriously either, is that it?”

“Like I said, I am simply trying to decide why your competence bothers me,” Niles said. “Don’t read into it.”

“I would not, if you also sought me out during your off hours,” Minerva said. “You do not. That tells me you only feel confident interacting with me on the battlefield, when I do not have the attention to spare to you. You are reluctant to forge a connection face-to-face.”

Niles shrugged, a deflection from how her words unnerved him. She was looking at him with a look that knew too much. “You said yourself, I’m not a team player.”

“That does not stop you from interacting with everyone else in this army, if only to tease them.”

“Are you saying you want to be teased?”

Minerva didn’t bat an eye. “I’m saying you are acting irrationally. I suspect there’s more to your interest than you’ve let on.”

Niles had the distinct impression he was cornered. The intensity of her gaze left his mind scrambling for response that would satisfy her, and he came up empty. Still, he tried to escape. “Why does it matter to you, princess?” He gave her his best condescending look. “Are you so arrogant that you would so desperately try to confirm that I fancy you, all so you can get your precious little ego stroked? Why should it matter to you what a lowlife like myself thinks?”

“Because I want to bed you.”

Niles nearly fell out of his tree again. When he righted himself, the best he could do was choke in surprise. “ _ What?! _ ”

Minerva continued with no regard for his outburst. “You are a ruthlessly competent man yourself, Niles. Despite your many faults, I admire your willingness to call things as you see them and challenge those you deem unworthy. It is rare to find a sadist with so much honor, no matter how hidden that honor is.”

“Finding me honorable and wanting to fuck me are two different things, princess.” Niles frowned down at her. “You sure you know what you’re getting into?”

“Are you doubting my competence?" Minerva's eyes gleamed with mirth, a rare look for her. "The same competence you found so compelling?”

“Hmph. Cheeky.” Niles found himself grinning. “Fine. You win, princess. I do fancy you. Not that you should find that flattering, I’ve been told I have low standards.”

“Keen words.” Minerva laughed and reached her hand up to him. “Let’s see how you handle the point on my response.”

Towards the end her words turned sultry, although he may have just imagined it. Nonetheless, he took her hand with a wink and a grin. This would be little more than a dalliance, he knew that much, but where was the shame in that? It wasn’t every day he got the chance to fuck a princess. “I shall look forward to it, Princess Minerva.”

**Author's Note:**

> Some choice bits of dialogue are taken directly from Niles and Minerva's in-game reactions. Their personalities bounce so well off each other, it's a shame they never got a support conversation. I would pay good money to see one between them.
> 
> I also couldn't resist ripping into the twins. Sorry, but I found them insufferable, and I have no doubt Niles would too.
> 
> I might (hopefully?) write a sequel to this eventually.


End file.
